"A nor’easter blizzard of historic proportions barreling up the U.S. East Coast prompted authorities to shut highways, bridges, transit systems, schools, Broadway shows and sporting events in a swath from New Jersey through New England."

"Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday that the storm approaching on Monday was likely to be one of the biggest to ever strike New York City, and he urged people to stay indoors to avoid powerful winds, low visibility and “treacherous” road conditions."

"The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says Earth is now closer to human-caused doomsday than it has been in more than 30 years because of global warming and nuclear weaponry. But other experts say that's way too gloomy."

"Truckloads of drinking water are expected to begin arriving Tuesday in an eastern Montana city where thousands of residents have been told not to drink from their taps following an oil spill along the Yellowstone River."

"A federal judge in New Orleans ruled Thursday that 3.19 million barrels of oil were spilled during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. The ruling means BP now faces up to $13.7 billion in pollution fines for the spill, well below the amount federal prosecutors want the company to pay."

Nobody has ever explained why Congress refuses to release the tax-funded explainers produced by the Congressional Research Service. They are a gold standard for journalists needing quick background. Here are some recent CRS reports relevant to environmental journalists, helpfully released by the Federation of American Scientists.